In his celebrated best seller Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale recounted his youthful career as a master imposter and forger. In The Art of the Steal, Abagnale tells the remarkable story of how he parlayed his knowledge of cons and scams into a successful career as a consultant to businesses on preventing financial foul play - while revealing to listeners how they can identify and outsmart perpetrators of fraud.

Stealing Your Life: The Ultimate Identity Theft Prevention Plan

Someone in the U.S. is an identity-theft victim every four seconds. It is extremely easy for anyone from anywhere in the world to assume your identity and, in a matter of hours, devastate your life in ways that can take years to recover from. Stealing Your Life is the reference everyone needs, by an unsurpassed authority on the latest identity-theft schemes.

Catch Me If You Can

Frank W. Abagnale was one of the most daring conmen, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was 21. His story is now a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.

Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History

On February 15, 2003, a group of thieves broke into an allegedly airtight vault in the international diamond capital of Antwerp, Belgium and made off with over $108 million dollars worth of diamonds and other valuables. They did so without tripping an alarm or injuring a single guard in the process.

Kingpin: How One Hacker Took Over the Billion-Dollar Cybercrime Underground

The word spread through the hacking underground like some unstoppable new virus: Someone - some brilliant, audacious crook - had just staged a hostile takeover of an online criminal network that siphoned billions of dollars from the U.S. economy. The FBI rushed to launch an ambitious undercover operation aimed at tracking down this new kingpin. Other agencies around the world deployed dozens of moles and double agents.

The Future of Violence: Robots and Germs, Hackers and Drones - Confronting a New Age of Threat

From drone warfare in the Middle East to digital spying by the National Security Agency, the US government has harnessed the power of cutting-edge technology to awesome effect. But what happens when ordinary people have the same tools at their fingertips? Advances in cybertechnology, biotechnology, and robotics mean that more people than ever before have access to potentially dangerous technologies that could be used to attack states and private citizens alike.

Combat veteran and author Hans Halberstadt takes listeners deeper inside the elusive world of snipers than ever before, from recruitment and training to the brutality of the killing fields. Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews, Halberstadt gets inside the sniper mind and shows how snipers think and interact with each other, how missions are planned and executed, how the weapons work, and even what happens when a bullet finally strikes its target.

There are only a few hundred snipers from all the services put together in combat at any one time, making this true inside story a rare and important event.

The King of Sting: The Amazing True Story of a Modern American Outlaw

Craig Glazer was an ordinary college student when he planned and successfully executed his first fake sting to get back at some drug dealers who had robbed him. The rush he got from the experience led him and a crew of 11 accomplices to mastermind a two-year, 33-sting spree that stretched coast to coast, posing as everything from local police to IRS agents and hotel managers.

Dead Run: The Murder of a Lawman and the Greatest Manhunt of the Modern American West

On a sunny May morning in 1998 in Cortez, Colorado, three desperados in a stolen truck opened fire on the town cop, shooting him 20 times; then they blasted their way past dozens of police cars and disappeared into 10,000 square miles of the harshest wilderness terrain on the North American continent. Self-trained survivalists, the outlaws eluded the most sophisticated law enforcement technology on the planet and a pursuit force that represented more than 75 local, state, and federal police agencies with dozens of SWAT teams, U.S. Army Special Forces....

Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling: Lessons from the Inside

Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling examines the organizational structures of drug smuggling from Colombia to the US. Career drug smugglers describe a series of often disconnected networks that enable smugglers to best organize their business in a way that will minimize the risks of apprhension and maximize profits

The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases

Forensic expert Wagner has crafted a volume that stands out from the plethora of recent memoirs of contemporary scientific detectives. By using the immortal and well-known Sherlock Holmes stories as her starting point, Wagner blends familiar examples from Doyle's accounts into a history of the growth of forensic science, pointing out where fiction strayed from fact.

Masters of Deception: The Gang That Ruled Cyberspace

From the bedroom terminals of teenagers isolated from their peers by their hyperactive intellects, to the nerve center of a nationwide long-distance phone company infiltrated by a hacker's hand, Masters of Deception offers an unprecedented tour of the murkiest reaches of the electronic frontier and a trenchant, blow-by-blow chronicle of the most notorious gang war in cyberspace.

The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer

Richard "The Ice Man" Kuklinski led a double life beyond anything ever seen on The Sopranos, becoming one of the most notorious professional assassins in American history while hosting neighborhood barbecues in suburban New Jersey. Now, after 240 hours of face-to-face interviews with Kuklinski and his wife and daughters, author Philip Carlo tells his extraordinary story.

The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security

The world's most infamous hacker offers an insider's view of the low-tech threats to high-tech security. Kevin Mitnick's exploits as a cyber-desperado and fugitive form one of the most exhaustive FBI manhunts in history and have spawned dozens of articles, books, films, and documentaries. Since his release from federal prison, in 1998, Mitnick has turned his life around and established himself as one of the most sought-after computer security experts worldwide.

Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster

Acclaimed journalist and bestselling author Jonathan Eig blows the lid off the Al Capone story. Based on never-before-seen government documents and newly discovered letters written by Al Capone himself, Get Capone presents America's greatest gangster as you’ve never seen him before.

Script Writing 101: Selling a Screenplay in the 21st Century: ScriptBully Book Series

Want to sell a screenplay, but figure there’s no chance it’ll ever happen? I mean, you don’t know a soul in Hollywood, right? You don’t have James Cameron on your speed dial. Christopher Nolan isn’t in your yoga class. Quentin Tarantino doesn’t shop at the same Whole Foods that you do. I mean, who’s going to take a chance on you? There’s no way you could ever sell a screenplay. Right? Well…

A Criminal and an Irishman: The Inside Story of the Boston Mob - IRA Connection

A Criminal and an Irishman is the story of Pat Nee's life as an Irish immigrant and Southie son, a Marine, a convicted IRA gun smuggler, and a former violent rival and then associate of Whitey Bulger. His narrative transports the listener into the criminal underworld, inside planning and preparation for an armored car heist, inside gang wars and revenge killings.

The 20 Types of Bitches in the World

This is hands down the most controversial and humorous audiobook that will ever be heard on the subject of women who think and act like bitches. I am a woman myself so before you hastily jump to the conclusion that this book is some sort of misogynist rant about women, rest assured that it is not. Instead it is a close examination of what you probably already know: that women can be bitches.

Escape from Alcatraz

Mobster Al "Scarface" Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, Robert Stroud, aka the Birdman: only the most violent, desperate criminals went to Alcatraz Island, called "The Rock" and known for its harsh conditions. This gripping true crime classic, originally written in 1963 and newly reissued, tells the story of life on The Rock and of 14 ingenious escape attempts by the prisoners.

Publisher's Summary

In his celebrated best seller Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale recounted his youthful career as a master imposter and forger. In The Art of the Steal, Abagnale tells the remarkable story of how he parlayed his knowledge of cons and scams into a successful career as a consultant to businesses on preventing financial foul play - while revealing to listeners how they can identify and outsmart perpetrators of fraud.

Technology may have made it easier to track down criminals, but cyberspace has spawned a skyrocketing number of ways to commit crime - much of it untraceable. In fact, Frank Abagnale has discovered that punishment for fraud, much less recovery of stolen funds, is a rare occurrence. Prevention is the best form of protection. Drawn from his early years of experience as an ingenious con artist (whose check scams alone mounted to more than two million dollars in stolen funds) and his 25-year career on the other side of the law, The Art of the Steal provides eye-opening stories of true scams, with tips on how they could have been avoided.

I've changed some key things I do because of this book. I bought a shredder. I don't carry my social security card. Those seem obvious, but if you want to know why you should never, EVER toss out your ATM receipts anywhere near your ATM, listen to this book. The financial frauds are astounding, not only on the corporate scale, but also on the personal scale. Sprinkled liberally with his own brand of humor and stories from his own colorful past, he makes a potentially dry subject not only interesting, but downright entertaining.

Frank Abernathy is very "Check Centered". This book has some very good descriptions about check safety, but sadly much of it is very dated. Advice such as choose a bank than requires you to pick up your checks at the bank. hmmm....

He also exposes his technology phobia clearly. On the internet he states simply that he recommends not using it!? He never does! I was hoping as the description leads the user to believe that there would be a wealth of information on how to protect your identity on the internet, not simply to "say no"...

Also this narrator is not one of my favorites. Very dry with a sarcastic tone to it that was irratating to me. It implied a dismissive, irrated tone that I don't know if the author meant it to have.

I got three quarters through really looking forward to the Internet section. Once I got there I was extremely disappointed, and thus disappointed with the entire book.

Again, Mr. Abagnale regales us with some of the best and relevent material I have heard on Audible. (See 'Catch Me If You Can') This book will open your eyes to how crooks go about their business and the not-common-enough sense ways you might discourage them. It covers such ordinary scams as the 'short change scam' (I had to listen to this several times before I got it) to identity theft and online crime. Should be required listening for anyone who engages in ecommerce.

I got this for 4.95, lol. Saw the movie about this guy, sounded interesting, was very pleased.

Is there a lot about net security, no, so don't listen if you are expecting the definitive narrative on internet security. But to be fair to the work, what you get is a look into the predatory nature of a master criminal, and just how scarily easy everyone makes it for them to steal. Scam after scam after scam revealed in shocking simplicity.

Are some of the stories outdated yes, to say they are not worth hearing is like saying I don't go to museums because the paintings are all old.

Is it very centered on check security, sure, that's what he did, and did better than anyone, but the point he is trying to make is that checks are not going away, with just a fragment of information you can lose anything to a person who knows how. He also goes into credit card, debit card, phone scams, and a ton of ways that a simple piece of paper, even a deposity slip can cost you everything.

And he does say a lot about internet fraud protection, all that needs to be said, which is to be secure, don't enter you information on the internet. Sometimes I don't know why people are so harsh. If you buy a cook book, and it says how to cook food, and you want a book that has Italian recipes, you cant slam it for not having enough Italian recipes. Get an Italian cook book.

This is a fascinating read. It will scare you and amaze you at the clever ways criminal meticulously work at ways to take our money. The great lengths they will go to to bust the most complex countermeasures, but also how insanely simple it is, and how completely senseless and open to these schemes even educated people can be.

I LOVED IT!

And come on guy, 5 bucks, even if you don't find it entertaining, and you got just one tip from it, you spent more than that on your lunch. Geeeez

An amazing book which describes just about every possible way fraudsters can rip you off. I leant a hell of a lot in listening to this book and made several changes in my life as a result of reading the book that will minimize me falling susceptible to rip-off artists, which in this day and age most of us can encounter multiple times on a daily basis without even knowing it.

Great audiobook. I broke from my usual mystery/suspense category to download this book and I'm super glad I did. This book gives insight into the way a criminal's mind works. Normal folks simply do not think this way. You will find yourself stunned at how you've NOT been paying attention to certain things. The chapter on embezzlement alone is worth the download credit. It will have you looking at your co-workers from a whole different angle.

Great narration. The writing was a little flaky and could have used the services of an editor but hey, the author was a crook not a novelist. Highly recommended download.

Overall, a very interesting book. The author spends the majority of the time identifying various 'tricks' used to defraud companies and individuals of money. The categories include: checks, credit cards, the Internet, counterfeit money, etc.

Many times throughout the book the author presents situations which seem innocuous until you hear the ways very clever thieves can take avantage of them.

At times there are arguments which lack backup, particularly those regarding the Internet. I had trouble determining if the author skipped the technicals of his arguments or if they were simply based on the merits of "back in my day we didn't need fancy communications networks". In either event, this was a great book.

Would you try another book written by Frank W. Abagnale or narrated by Barrett Whitener?

Yes I would, even though a lot of the information is irrelevant to UK readers/listeners, he does tell a good story.

If you’ve listened to books by Frank W. Abagnale before, how does this one compare?

Not quite as entertaining. There was a very long section on the American 'checking' system (cheques to us in the UK) which bored me rigid. Quite a lot of it was out-of-date.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The section on various scams, which don't rely on technology and are relevant today. The one about the 'short change ' scam was mathematically challenging and I can see why it works (although I hasten to add, I shan't be trying it)!

Do you think The Art of the Steal needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Updated version for the 21st century? Should be made more relevant outside the US.

Any additional comments?

Good entertaining read.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Rosemary

Wentworthville, Australia

5/19/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Bad Boy made good and shares valuable insights."

This book is clearly directed at an American audience yet there are useful ideas and important facts for everyone in our current culture of internet fraud, identity theft and credit card security. I, like many people, was fascinated by Frank W. Abagnale's precocious and illegal exploits as seen in the movie "Catch Me If You Can". This book tells you how easy that was for him, what happened after he was caught and what he made of his life since then. He tells you how unscrupulous con artists and thieves misrepresent themselves to perpetrate scams on ordinary people in their own homes, retail theft, credit card and cheque fraud, identity theft, and other misdemeanours and just how vulnerable the internet can make us. Its scary. He also tells you how you can make yourself less vulnerable and much of it is common sense. Well worth a listen.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.